1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lens-fitted photo film unit and a photofinishing method. More particularly, the present invention relates to a lens-fitted photo film unit in which information is photographically recorded for each of imaging frames and which has a simplified structure, and a photofinishing method for producing photographic prints by use of the information.
2. Description Related to the Prior Art
One type of camera is used with a photo film cassette of the IX240 type. It is possible in using the IX240 type to have a photo finisher to produce photographic prints at one of various printing aspect ratios (PAR), which include the convention (C) size, the wide-vision (H) size and the panoramic (P) size. To this end, JP-A 8-304883 discloses a construction of a camera including a selector button for the printing aspect ratios, to record an indicia photographically on photo film in a position associated with each imaging frame. A user is enabled to select any desired one of the printing aspect ratios to meet his or her intention relevant to an imaging frame. This is effective in increasing variety of photographs, because the printing aspect ratios can be changed as desired by a user unlike earlier cameras.
A lens-fitted photo film unit pre-loaded with the above-mentioned photo film cassette has been suggested. U.S. Pat. No. 6,249,652 (corresponding to JP-A 11-271872) discloses one type of the lens-fitted photo film unit in which pseudo zooming is utilized to produce photographic prints of a plurality of the printing aspect ratios. U.S. Pat. No. 5,950,025 (corresponding to JP-A 10-031249) discloses another type in which a region of a field in a viewfinder is changed over mechanically, to produce photographic prints of a plurality of the printing aspect ratios.
However, the lens-fitted photo film unit has a shortcoming in its considerably large size as compared with widely used types of the lens-fitted photo film unit which are constructed with a small thickness and small size. Such a large size is likely to raise the manufacturing cost. In general, a taking lens incorporated in the lens-fitted photo film unit is a wide-angle type, for example, has a focal length of 24 mm. Main objects photographed inside an imaging frame are likely to be considerably small. In order to obtain an enlarged photographic print or trimming print, a user sends his or his messages on various specified items to a photo shop, the items including an enlarging magnification, trimming region and the like as intended. However, production of the enlarged photographic print is laborious and very costly because of difficulties in satisfying the intentions.